TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Liz Slagle Todaro & Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 13, 2025

The indigent representation proposal from the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) on behalf of the Tennessee Supreme Court addresses a number of challenges in the state's current system. One benefit of the proposal would be eliminating the use of court time to appoint attorneys for these cases. Under the plan, judges would be able to rely on the proposed "Office of Indigent Conflicts and Civil Counsel," which would assume responsibility for appointing lawyers in child welfare cases and criminal cases when the public defender has a conflict. In addition, the proposed "Indigent Representation Commission" would be charged with reviewing, developing and, where possible, implementing procedures to improve accountability and prevent misuse of the system. Learn more about the plan and indigent representation in Tennessee.